Phillies trade rumors: Front office ‘Ticked off’ by Tyler Anderson debacle

Dave Dombrowski saw first-hand the 2006 Cardinals surprise and win it all.

In conversation with Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski Wednesday morning, the veteran executive hinted to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark that he knows the team is flawed.

Yet, when looking around in the National League East division, the team is not far behind in the standings from the currently leading New York Mets.

“He doesn’t think there is a really good team in the National League East. It’s flawed, hurt, and vulnerable. The Braves are really hurting,” Stark said. “The Phillies can get in the postseason, and if Wheeler, Nola, and Eflin were pitching well, that’s a team you wouldn’t want to face.”

Dombrowski also made it apparent to Stark that the Phillies have hitters who are capable of hitting good pitching — including J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Jean Segura, and Rhys Hoskins.

“That’s how you win in October. When you have a chance to win your division, you should try to take advantage of that,” Stark said, before adding:

"“He’s been around a long time. He’s been involved with teams that look really different in July than October (or vice-versa). He lost the World Series in 2006 to a Cardinals team that wasn’t any good. They won 83 games, got hot the last week, and got hot in October. They won the World Series.”"

“He sees the value in when you have a chance to get in, to try to get in,” Stark said. “He knows what he is, and knows what he isn’t. He’s not going to make up big overpay.”

The Phillies will surely make at least one move before Friday’s deadline. The team was supposed to play its third of four games in its current series against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, however, the game was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the opposing clubhouse. The game will be made up on Thursday as a single-admission doubleheader, starting at 12:05 p.m.

If anything, Wednesday’s postponement will allow Dombrowski to put his entire focus on the trade market.

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